EDITOR'S NOTE-—When opinions are expressed in these columns, they zre those of the news analyst, and not necessarily of the newspaper. Politics Since the dim day when Ameri- ca's first pork barrel was burst open, politicians have legally or il- legally used federal funds to further their personal ends. Pork-barreling was simple, and usually honest, when it involved no more than a U. S.-sponsored post office, highway or bridge. But since 1933 the old- fashioned pork barrel has been sup- planted by relief projects, building up huge payrolls among unemployed people who will cast their votes not necessarily for the right man, but for the man who will protect their jobs. Three square meals a day have a far greater vote-getting appeal than any miscellaneous fa- vor a congressman could pull from the pork barrel. In an election year, political abuse of relief funds becomes a par- amount danger. Therefore congress received no jolt when Texas’ Sen. SENATOR SHEPPARD Recommendations were easier. Morris Sheppard offered his com- mittee’'s report on campaign expen- ditures. Skipping lightly over the routine fact that some campaigns cost nothing while another (that of Ohio's Robert P. Taft) cost $159,- 451.37, the committee outlined re- sults of relief-politics inquiries in 18 states. Sample allegations: Kentucky. Gov. Albert B. (““Hap- py’') Chandler collected about $70,- 000 from state employees whose sal- aries came partly or wholly from federal funds. His successful oppo- nent, Sen. Alben W. Barkley, re- ceived $24,000 from federal employ- ees, but his campaign manager de- nied all but $2,000. Pennsylvania. WPA state high- way work cards were issued to high school children, who returned to their classes without doing any work. Tennessee. Federal employees were solicited for contributions; WPA labor was used to repair pri- vate roads. Illinois. In Cook county, 450 men were added to state highway crews, ‘70 of whom did no work other than canvass their respective precincts. No criticism was directed at for- mer WPA Administrator Harry Hopkins, nor was action taken against any candidate. The pathetic truth is that no individual office- seeker could be singled out without ripping open an unwholesome, futile investigation. Instead the commit- tee contented itself with 16 sugges- tions for cleaning up elections, most of which would provide loopholes, few of which could be enforced with- out interfering with private rights. Sample suggestions: (1) Prohibition against political contributions by relief recipients and legislation forbidding relief officials to influence votes. (2) Legislation limiting individual contributions to candidates, pre- venting corporation donations and requiring complete reports of cam- paign costs. (3) Consideration of legislation to make all political contributions by federal workers illegal. The most applauded recommen- dation called for curtailment of the congressional franking (free mail- ing) privilege. This recalled the annual report of Postmaster Gen- eral James J. Farley, made a few days earlier, which pointed out that abuse of the franking privilege was in a large part responsible for the post office department's deficit. International January 1 found the U. S. and Great Britain invoking their new low-tariff trade pact, designed pri- marily to stimulate business, but also to furnish a strong ‘‘white man’s front” against dictator states. A few days later Britain made a strong show of enthusiasm over President Roosevelt's anti-dictator speech (See WHITE HOUSE). But if these two signs indicate a policy of ‘“‘parallel action” between Wash- ington and London, several other gestures by Britain hardly fit into the picture. Smart call for "” action” would adoption of the U, 8. policy of refusing to consort eco- nomically with Germany, Italy or Japan. But when Governor Mon- tagu Norman of the Bank of Eng- land went to Berlin, and when Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain visit- ed Italy, each carried plans for stim- ulating British trade with the two dictator states. Meanwhile, Britain has extended China credits of only $2,500,000, compared with U. S. cred- its of $25,000,000. Though Britain may some day be forced into a life-and-death battle with both Germany and Italy, she is willing to overlook this possibility for the sake of her foreign trade. The theory: That every effort must be made to keep the hard-pressed German and Italian buyers solvent, otherwise British export to these nations will decline and debts owed British commercial interests will not be paid. White House Before congress opened, President Roosevelt's critics believed his ris- ing enthusiasm for rearmament was merely a cloak to focus public at- | tention away from last November's election defeat. By shouting for larger army-navy appropriations, by keeping silent as a sphynx on every other subject, the President was expected to build for himself a storm shelter until the torrent of congressional criticism had passed. But rearmament turned out to be a recognized national problem and | Mr. Roosevelt turned out to be a | smarter psychologist than his crit- ics expected. It remained for his speech on the state of the Union to sound the keynote. Its essence: The U. S. is beset by threats from dic- | tator nations, therefore we must re- arm and take sanctions against ag- gressors. But rearmament is also an internal proposition, therefore we must set our house in order and de- fend ourselves with social and eco- | nomic reforms. Some reforms al-| ready made (social security, farm | legislation, laber act) need ‘“‘ma- | chining down." Others (governmen- | tal reorganization, transportation) are still to be made. On spending: “It does not seem logical to me, at the moment we seek to increase production and consumption, for the | federal government to consider a drastic curtailment.” Congress did not need long to fig- | ure out that if military rearmament would cost real money, internal re- armament would be even more ex- pensive. When the budget message was delivered their figures were verified. The President's budget re- quests: $8,995,000,000. The expected income: $5,660,600,000. The net def- icit for the fiscal year: $3,326,000,- | 000. By June 30, 1940, when the | year ends in a burst of political | campaigning, the administration | will therefore have a public debt of $44,458,000,000 to explain. As congress dove headlong into its six, seven or eight-month task, | President Roosevelt may have been surprised to learn his initiating ut- terances won more public acclaim in France and Great Britain than at home. Definitely on the defensive | for the first time since 1933, he faced | Asia War-torn China’s biggest boast is her constantly growing national unity, a product of necessity that has made Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek the strongest Chinese ruler in modern history. But despite this well-publicized unity, China has not been able to make much of a show- ing against her Japanese invaders, Indeed, foreign military observers find Tokyo's paper-thin front lines 80 vulnerable that they say 30,000 American, British or French troops could put the enemy to rout. But in Jap-occupied territory are 270,000,- 000 civilians and 1,250,000 armed i pr GENERALISSIMO CHIANG Time to stop bluffing. guerrillas whose spirit of national unity is still not strong enough to inspire a sudden, inevitably success- ful attack. Better than the national unity argument is the theory that smart General Chiang has been staging a fake show of Chinese nationalism, offering a good front at the expense run with nepotism, corruption and inefficiency, many abuses have been tolerated to make the outside world think China is strong. In the end General Chiang wangled handsome loans and credit arrangements from the stunt was working, at least Not anticipated, however, was the walkout of one-time Premier Wang who celebrated New reaching peace terms with Japanese Premier Fuminaro Konoye. Long a silent bulwark of China's Kuomintang (Nationalist) party, Mr. Wang reportedly met at Hongkong with Japanese agents and reached terms which would make him China's head man, leav- ing General Chiang out in the cold. Terms: (1) China should open dip- lomatic relations with Japanese pup- pet state, Manchukuo; (2) China should agree to economic “‘co- operation” with Japan; (3) China should adhere to the Jap-Italo-Ger- man anti-Communist agreement; (4) China should accept Japanese garrisons while the anti-Communist pact was in force. Interpretations of the Wang de- marche have come thick and fast In Tokyo, happy Japanese thought it With Chi- ang weakened, Japanese puppet states would no longer seem point- less. In Shanghai, still Chinese de- its Japanese ownership, ob- and British credits to General Chiang. With the die cast, General Chiang no longer saw need for hiding his From Chungking came word of a wholesale purge from the Kuomintang of some 200 peace par- tisans. Expelled was Deserter Wang, charged with having attempt- ed to gain support from military leaders in Szechuan and Yunnan provinces. Miscellany For the first time in its history, scheduled: 10. HAMILTON FISH JR. He offered a comment, an independent congress and a very | wary public which hoped he appre- | ciated the magnitude of his actions. And while London and Paris ap- | plauded the strongest official U. 8. | statement yet made against dicta- | tors, Berlin and Rome sang the next | stanza in the international hymn of | hate which has now reached an alarming intensity. At home, little comment was forthcoming. A sample, from New | York's Rep. Hamilton Fish Jr.: | “True to his devotion to interna- tionalismm and the League of Na- tions, (Mr. Roosevelt) urges collec- tive security and military alliances of democracies. 1 do not believe that congress will scrap our tradi- tional foreign policy of peace for one in which we would quarantine and police the world with American blood and money.” People Fifteen-year-old Gloria Vander- bilt, who has $4,000,000 in the bank, spent $562.99 last year, an accounting in New York's surrogate’s court reveals. © Phillip > LaFollette, defeated : ence at Lima, Peru, have reported censorship, intimidation and spying unlike that ever before seen at a Pan-American assembly. @ Army participation in the U. 8. three-month Atlantic fleet cause of friction, claiming the exercise offers little value for its officers and men. Aviation the day when seaplanes would speed mail and passengers from Europe to America. Test flights had al- ready been underway a year, and the Kennedy prediction has now been sustained by announcement that Imperial Airways of London will start weekly transatlantic serv- ice before next June. Forerunning 21-hour passenger service between four WASHINGTON.—Many persons in Washington are convinced that fast ball right over the plate in the transfer of Harry Hopkins to the job of secretary of commerce It appears to some ob- servers, certainly, that the presi- dential maneuver has gone a long way toward reducing, if not elimi- its relief The President knew of the brew- ing trouble that had Hopkins as the focus; he was told how much mud slinging was due to take place, #nd how the haters of Hopkins and his methods were preparing to leave no stone unturned in exposing ev- erything about Hopkins and his or- ganization that could be made to appear slimy. Yet, Hopkins is per- haps the closest of all of the “inner circle’ of advisers to the President and surely he is the President's best personal friend. Naturally, he want- ed to keep Hopkins around. In naming Hopkins to the post of secretary commerce, vacated only at Christmastime by the vet- eran official, Daniel C. Roper, Mr. Roosevelt has had to take the chance that the appointee meet some razzing in senate con- firmation. That is a chance, of course, but Mr. Hopkins will be con- firmed after the boys in the senate have had their say. But there will be little opportunity for the anti- administration Democrats to sink their teeth into the Hopkins appoint- ment to the commerce job. That department has less money to spread about perhaps than most important government jobs. Admin- istration friends in the senate, there- fore, can say with propriety that a razzing of Hopkins, as the com- merce nominee, is not to be dulged in because this is another job, not related to spending money. of Appointment of Harrington Another Strategic Move I am told on very good authority that this will be the strategy em- ployed when the Hopkins nomina- tion is under consideration. To all critics of Hopkins, the administra- tion friends simply will reply, in effect, “you wanted Hopkins out of the relief job. Now he is out, ete.” It is undoubtedly a piece of politics and it will work— for awhile. The President also strengthened his position in the coming battle with congress by the appointment of Colonel Harrington. The colonel is a regular army engineer. He has been assistant chief en WPA and knows the organization. Harrington leans somewhat to the anti-administration Democrats. Mr. Roosevelt is taking no chances on any ruckus arising over Colonel Harrington, however, and has avoided it by a clever piece of detail. Colonel Harrington has been as “acting WPA administrator.” He will run the or- ganization as though he were full fledged on the job. The difference is that the designation of the colonel as acting administrator eliminates the requirement of a senate confir- mation. In other words, the senate successor unless it acts by special If the Harrington name had come in as a nomination, there could be wide open exposure of tactics by the committee So it is plain to see that the The third angle of the strategy also is vital to the picture I am The chief dep- uty administrator under Hopkins It was Williams, you may recall, who has made speechés and has advised WPA workers to ‘vote for your friends,” to insist on federal pres- he was inclined to believe that class hatred was a good thing. Many Attacks on Relief Policies to Be Expected To keep Mr. Williams out of the clutches of the wolves around the capitol, Mr. Roosevelt took him off of the job of deputy relief adminis. trator and appointed him as direc- tor of the national youth adminis- tration. ain, the senate can get lines have not yet been tight. drawn in congress as a result of the sudden maneuver by the Presi- dent. There will be many attacks on the relief policies at an early date because the WPA must have something like $750,000,000 in addi- tional money before the middle of February, and that request will be laid before congress along with oth- er calls for money in the first de- ficiency bill. But Mr. Hopkins will be nesting comfortably in his pan- elled office on the fifth floor of the commerce department; he will be “completely detached” from WPA and so the controversy over voting the money will settle down to a mat- ter of principle without having too much personality in it. The appointment of Col. Harring- ton will be much advertised by ad- ministration sypporters in order to help others forget that Hopkins once held the job. Colonel Harrington is accepted as a high grade man. His army associates know him as capa- ble and efficient and the critics of relief policies cannot help feeling that he will do a fairly good job. He has not engaged in politics, as Hopkins did, and thus is immune from that approach. Beneath the surface, plans are said to be under way to give the country a ‘‘correct impression’ of the new WPA. Colonel Harrington be planning to do away with most of the boon dog- gling, sewing circles to make baby diapers, writers’ projects, art proj- ects, what-else-have-you. He wants to use the WPA money for “‘con- structive purposes,’ Hopkins Is Objectionable To a Majority in Congress At the proper time, therefore, congress will learn of what is going to be done by the new administra- tor. President again will ask congress to vote relief funds in bulk, in blank members will be reassured by the administration concerning the abil- ity, honesty and soundness of plans of the administrator. Mr. Roose- velt is said to hope that the strategy will work. I doubt it, but stranger things have happened. There have been few times in my 20 years as a Washington observer that the feel- ing against a member of the execu- ive's staff has been so heated as it has grown to be concerning Hop- kins and the relief spending that he It will be recalled that membered, as well, that he sought to help the President "‘purge’” a of recalcitrant Democrats were seeking re-election. It very strongly that Mr, Roosevelt has elevated to his cabi- net an individual thoroughly objec- tionable to a majority of congress and has, at the same time, provid- ed himself with a chance to get spending money again. He may not win with the maneuver, but he has caught a good many persons off guard with the trick. But what of Hopkins as secretary of commerce, assuming that the name will be confirmed by the sen- ate? Well, Mr. Hopkins will draw his pay regularly on the first and fif- teenth of each month. He will be faithful in going to his office in the powerful automobile that is provid- ed by the government for the sec- retary of commerce. He will sign the papers which the secretary of commerce is required to sign be- cause somebody, holding subordi- nate positions and who knows what it is all about, will tell him that is their recommendation. Secretary of Commerce to Make 130,000 Appointments efficient manner. commerce will be well managed be- cause it has capable people in sub- ordinate positions. The bureau of foreign and domestic commerce, the bureau of fisheries, the bureau of lighthouses and the others, or most of them, will get along with- out too much trouble because Mr, Hopkins probably will leave them alone. But we should not leave Mr. Hop- kins alone yet for the reason that late this year, or early in 1040. there will be about 130,000 appoint- ments to be made by the secretary of commerce. Next year is the pe- riod for the regular 10-year census In the meantime, the business of the country which is supposed to Closets scalloped shelf edgings, in gay gar- Dresser drawers are als 0 perking paper was put in the bo drawer every so often, ftom of a and the claimed how long since this housewifely been performed. Now, pads to fit the drawers. them with our favorite s task had we make *s We scent achet and ings. fachine quiitin thing to give the pads t and body requi they will lay flat in the drawer and not Glazed chintz in a plain they er for the pads made to fit lin is used sheet i w ny When the chest Mrs. Spea: 8, Novelties & has helpec to use odds and their things to sel SEWING, tor, is full ¢ homemaker delightful gifts. autograph Crazy-patch quilt leaflet ed free with every books. 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Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers